The Fall Ride Schedule

Fall is the time for event rides here in the mid-Atlantic.  I have a few favorites that I keep coming back to so this year I am going for a four peat. Or is that fourpete? 4peat?

I haven't put down my Visa card on it yet, but I am pretty sure that the kick off will be the Indian Head (Metric) Century on Sunday September 9. I've done this before, in the rain no less, and it was solo effort on Little Nellie.  About half way through, a rider on a racing bike who was riding just behind me fell hard. He was taken away in an ambulance. Danger, Will Robinson.  Don't let that put you off though. I survived unscathed It's a pretty route and it is only about a 30 minute drive from downtown in Indian Head Maryland.

Next up is the ride I once swore I'd never do again. The Fifty States Ride will be on Saturday September 22. It's free. It's fun. It's social. And it's a tough 65 miles and it takes all day. The reward, other than the fact that I've met a dozen people doing the ride, is the fact that you really get to know all of DC. If "your" DC is Adams Morgan and downtown, this is your chance to see Anacostia, Capitol Hill, Chevy Chase,  and more.  This will be my fifth 50 States Ride.  And Paul, Veronica, Richard, Jeff and I had a blast at the after party last year.

The very next day I will get up before dawn and drive to Berryville Virginia in the northern Shenandoah Valley for the Backroads Century.  This is the prettiest event ride I've done.  Fog lifting off farmers' fields, horse and cows doing their horse and cow thing, respectively. Country roads for miles and miles. Some hills keep things interesting. One of the rest stops had a harpist last year.  And no highway riding at all.  If you haven't done this one, give up your Sunday morning in bed and get out to Berryville. I plan on riding the metric century but if the 50 States Ride kills my legs I could drop down to the 50 miler.

My last ride (so far anyway) is the Tour du  Port in Baltimore on Sunday September 30. This is similar in concept to the 50 States Ride. The route wanders around Baltimore and its suburbs.  If you time it right, you can climb the Pagoda in Paterson Park and get a great view of the city.  This year's they added a metric century so I'll be riding that route. It's another ride that requires an early wake up since it takes about an hour to get to the start.

So if any of these floats your boat, drop me a line and we can ride together.